Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Scotch Fur Fighter

Our little Scarlett is a gem, but she is still a dog (ssshhhhh, please don't tell her!), and that means that from time to time, especially in these warmer months, she tends to shed a little fur. When I stumbled upon a $4 coupon towards the purchase of the new Scotch Fur Fighter, I decided to give it a try and let you know what I thought. Again, its just my opinion, which on the black market is going for nothing, but here you go!

The Product: Scotch Fur Fighter for Upholstery (there is a Car Interiors version available also)

The Pitch: A specially designed rubber gripper pad is attached to an easy to use handle. Run it along your upholstered furniture to trap loose hair and fur.

The Verdict: Very easy to use and the handle was already loaded with a pad straight out of the box. This thing picked up some serious fur! The handle is comfortable and it really gets into all of the nooks and crannies of your furniture. I cleaned a sofa, loveseat, chair and ottoman--all with the same pad--and I REALLY cleaned, so it can definitely hold some fur! With my coupon, I paid $5 for the handle and 5 cleaning pads, so approximately $1 per use. Definitely worth it since it cleaned way better than one of those sticky roller things. A definite thumbs up!

P.S. That is a stock photo. I toyed with showing you just how much fur it picked up, but Scarlett has an image to maintain....well, she did until she did her business in the floor at the vet's office this week...

And for our survey this time, if you have a pet, what is their biggest quirk or the funniest thing that they do?

Tipsy Tuesday (#72)

A penny saved is a penny you can use to...

Tip #72

Use a penny to help out in these situations:

Check your car’s tires by placing one head down between the tire tread grooves. Replace the tires if you can see Lincoln’s whole head or any of the “In God We Trust” letters above his head.

Put them all around vulnerable garden seedlings to repel slugs. The folklore is that slugs touching copper will experience a tiny electric shock as electrons are exchanged between a slimy slug and copper.

Straighten curtains by making an opening in the bottom hem, sliding in a penny or two, and sewing the hem back up. This will keep curtains hanging level and stick-straight.

Discipline your dog by putting 2-4 pennies inside an empty soda can, taping the top well and rigorously shaking the can. What’s great about this method is it’s very successful and quite harmless. It takes very little shaking of the device to discipline your dog. Dogs dislike the sound of this noise making tool and quickly associate it with the bad behavior they’re displaying. (We just have to pick up the can at our house and Scarlett goes into hiding!)

Instead of putting quick melting ice on a bang or bruise, use a sock filled with pennies. Simply drop a generous amount of the coins into and old tube sock, tie it shut and freeze. It will do the same job as an ice pack without the drippy mess.

Quick Dollar Store Birthday Project

My sister-in-law is 'bout to enter the Dirty Thirties, as my brother would say. And I mean, who didn't love turning 30, right? We won't be able to be at her birthday bash, so we visited them in their new house this weekend and did a little early celebrating. She'll get her real gift on her birthday, but I fixed her this cute little "30 Sucks" basket to enjoy until then.

Normally, I wouldn't tell you how much a gift cost, but since Kiki also loves a good deal and this is just a bonus gift, I thought I'd share that everything you need to make the basket can be purchased at the dollar store.

Here's what you'll need:

A basket or flower pot

Floral foam

Basket Filler

Suckers in whatever variety you choose (they even had cute palm trees and flip flops for summer!)

Here's what you do:

Just stuff the foam in, arrange your suckers, add filler and of course, a cute little sign with birthday wishes!

If anything can take the sting out of those big milestone birthdays, it has to be a Tootsie Pop!

This project makes a great addition to The CSI Project's $5 Challenge ! Check them out!

Starbucks (Stacie Style)

I'm not a coffee drinker--love the smell, just don't like the taste--but I have had enough co-workers that are colossal pains in the backside much less efficient if they don't have their java fix. Hey, I once gave up diet soda for 40 days and there were many who narrowly escaped the clutches of my non-caffeinated evil twin, so I totally understand the addictive nature of caffeine.

Anyway, I have been wanting to try my hand at these cute coffee cup cozies that I have seen around blogland and I recently had the perfect excuse. The Ja- half of Team Jacie drops the little one off at my house each morning and I've seen the look of despair on his face when on a few occasions he has dropped/knocked over/spilled his coffee, so knowing how much his daily fix meant to him, I knew that a coffee cozy would be a great gift from his little one for Father's Day. I wanted to practice, so I made a girly version first using the tutorial here. Once I finished that one, I moved on to the Photo Coffee Sleeve found here. They won't help you out if you get the dropsies, but at least your cup will look good!

Join Show and Share Day at Just a Girl for more great ideas!

Take Two!

I recently bought a shirt that included this "free" bonus necklace:

The necklace was perfectly adequate, BUT it was silvertone metal and I am a goldtone gal and it was short and chunky, and I like a long necklace. So I got out my jewelry supplies, and 30 minutes later, TA-DA...a "new" necklace, at no cost!

Tipsy Tuesday (#71)

Safety first...

Tip #71

Eco-friendly reusable bags are great for the earth but they could spell trouble for your health. Take precautions.

If a bag absorbs meat juices or touches contaminated produce, it could transfer pathogens to other items the next time it is used. To prevent cross-contamination, launder cloth bags between shopping trips. Wipe out plastic bags with a disinfectant wipe after use.

Do You Know Your Father?

I remember that my father always had black licorice in an orange and yellow canister at his house when we visited on weekends. I remember that he brought me wrestling magazines when I was hospitalized for a kidney infection in junior high. I remember that the bed I had at his house had one of those bookshelf headboards with secret cubby doors that you could hide all sorts of treasures in. I remember that he collected coins and gemstones. I remember that I once found an antique diamond ring while walking with him through a park. Sadly, though I do not remember ever hearing him say "I love you."

Click here to read more.

And the Winner is...

Thanks to everyone who entered the CSN Stores giveaway! I've entered your entries in numbered slots in the order in which they were received and Random.org says the winner of the $40 online gift certificate is:

Shannon @ Espinoza's Love! Congratulations, I'll be in touch with instructions on redeeming your prize!

Have a Frosty for a Good Cause!

We have made many a late night run to Wendy's for a sweet treat--the Rev likes a Cookie Dough Twisted Frosty, while I prefer the Oreo Twisted Frosty--and when you live in a town that pretty much closes up shop at 10pm, Wendy's is about your only option to satisfy a midnight sweet tooth! This weekend we can enjoy a sweet treat and help some pretty great kids out at the same time!

Wendy's will host its 4th Annual Father's Day Frosty Weekend this week. For every frosty sold on Saturday, June 19th and Sunday, June 20th participating Wendy's restaurants around the country will donate 50 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The foundation works on behalf of the over 123,000 children in the U.S. foster care system who are awaiting adoption. For more information about all of the programs funded by the foundation, click here.

I'll be taking the Rev out and treating him to a frosty--and giving thanks for him, for the mother who birthed him but could not raise him, and for the parents who made him into the man he is today (even if he does leave all of his stuff laying around!).

Polka Dot Pillows

We've been working on sprucing up our church nursery for the last few weeks. We only had 1 crib and no changing table and with a recent baby boom, that just wasn't cutting it any more. So we bought 2 smaller cribs and new bedding, plus a changing table. Would you believe that it took us longer to put together the 1 changing table than it did the 2 cribs? I seriously dislike an allen wrench...anyway...

We had these 2 lonely little pillow forms that had been in the old crib and we almost threw them out, but at the last minute I decided that I could make some pillow covers to match the new bedding and they would get a 2nd life. They were so easy to make and now I am full of confidence and ready to tackle pillows for my whole house! I made a simple envelope style (still scared of zippers!) using this tutorial, which was perfect for a beginner. What do you think?

Join Chris at Just a Girl for more Show and Share Day fun!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway! Only 3 days left to enter!

Tipsy Tuesday (#70)

Even your yard tools need a little TLC...

Tip #70

Get more than just grass cutting out of your lawn mower.

Schedule an annual physical for your lawn mower at a local hardware store. A machine in good condition can cut emissions by up to 50% and reduce fuel consumption by 30%.

S'more Topped Brownies

We just finished VBS, where our Ranch theme had us making s'mores twice in one week! It left me craving these delicious brownies and so I whipped up a batch this weekend. Try them, you will love them--and you will not have to risk singed eyebrows to get them!

S'more Topped Brownies

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
2 c. chocolate chips
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/2 c. broken graham crackers
2 T. butter, melted
2 c. mini marshmallows
1 large Hershey bar, broken into individual pieces

Heat sugar and butter in a medium pot over low heat until butter is completely melted, stirring often. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate chips until melted, and let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, briefly whisk the eggs. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate mixture to the eggs and stir to combine, just to temper the eggs. Then pour all of eggs into the pot with the melted chocolate. Stir to combine.

Stir in flour, vanilla and baking soda until well blended. Pour into a greased 13×9 casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the graham crackers and butter and sprinkle over the brownies. Add the marshmallows and the chocolate pieces.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes.

Be sure to visit Jen for more Tasty Tuesday recipes.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a CSN Stores $40 gift certificate!

Giving When It Seems Impossible

I have been unemployed since last August and I have to admit that my first thought upon learning of the elimination of my job was not how could I give more to others. How we were going to survive, how long unemployment benefits might last, whether we would have to go on a beanie weenie and Ramen noodle diet, maybe--giving MORE? I am ashamed to say that thought never crossed my mind.

Not so with Reed Sandridge, author of "Year of Giving", a blog that is chronicling his yearlong experiment in giving to others, expecting nothing in return. Click here to read more.

You're So Vain...(& a Giveaway!)

Ever since I saw this picture in Southern Living...

I have been wanting a vanity to serve as a side table in our guest bedroom. The bedroom furniture in there only has one nightstand and if you know me, you know that I like symmetry, so I really want something to balance that out. A vanity would replace the bulky desk in there and be a great multi-purpose piece for the room. (On a side note and as evidence of my circular logic, I have to tell you that when I think of the word vanity, I think of vain, which makes me think of that Carly Simon song "You're So Vain," which in turn makes me think of that scene from How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, hence the title of this post...) Anyway, JustVanities.com has tons to choose from, like this one here...

its clean lines and black finish would be perfect! And JustVanities.com isn't limited to just bedroom vanities, they have the perfect vanity for your dream bathroom, as well. Go over and dream and drool over them all.

Now if you aren't in the market for a vanity, have no fear, JustVanities.com is just one of over 200 stores in the CSN Stores family. And, lucky for you, the nice folks over at CSN Stores have given me the opportunity to offer one of my readers a $40 gift certificate to spend in any one of their online stores!

**Giveaway closed**

Here's how to enter:

*Leave me a comment on this post. (If you don't have a blog or it isn't linked to your email make sure to leave an email address so that I can get in touch with you.)

* If you are brave enough to share with all of us what you are most vain about in your comment, I'll give you an extra entry. Just to make you feel better, I'll go first, I have a horrible wrinkle on my forehead and I check it in the mirror all the time to see if it is getting any deeper. I need some Botox bad!

* The winner will be announced on Friday! Hurry up and enter!

Very Big Shake? I Wish!

Yep, its that time of year. Its Vacation Bible School week, which is totally exhausting--but we are almost halfway done! I'll be MIA until the end of the week and then I'll be back to a normal blogging schedule AND I'll have an announcement about my first GIVEAWAY ever! Stay tuned!

P.S. If you are exhausted from your own VBS experience this week, are dreading your turn, or aren't sure if VBS is for you, I've got a great reminder about how important VBS is over at Everyday Christian.

Tipsy Tuesday (#69)

Ah, summer and the South means sweet tea...

Tip #69

No more iced tea drips!

Guests go wild for your iced tea--but you could do without the dribbles on your tablecloth. The fix: Smear a dab of unsalted butter on the inside and outside edges of the pitcher's spout. Since fat repels water, this will stop drops of liquid just as they're about to take the plunge.

Its National Doughnut Day!

Tomorrow, June 4, is National Doughnut Day! According to Fox News, the tradition was established in 1938 by the Salvation Army to help raise funds for people in need. According to the Salvation Army Chicago’s website , the idea started on the battlefields of France during World War I when the Salvation Army served coffee and doughnuts to soldiers in the trenches.

Krispy Kreme is offering customers a FREE doughnut of their choice at all participating stores on Friday, June 4. No purchase is necessary.

At Dunkin’ Donuts , you’ll get a FREE doughnut with the purchase of any beverage at participating stores on Friday, June 4. The offer is good all day.

Treat yourself to some Friday-fried-glazed-fabulousness!

P.S.--My favorite is a chocolate iced doughnut (unless of course, that "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign is on!). What is your favorite?

Tipsy Tuesday (#68)

Stock up at the farmers market without fear..

Tip #68

Try this trick to keep produce crisp all week.

Make your bounty stay fresh for at least seven days by tossing a few dry sponges into your refrigerator's crisper drawer. The absorbent rectangles will sop up the excess moisture that wilts veggies.